Federal and local authorities are working to track down a hacker who attempted to poison a water system in Oldsmar, Florida.
During a press briefing on Monday, officials in Pinellas County said an unknown suspect broke into a computer system that controls a water treatment facility, which cleans water for roughly 15,000 people.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the cyber attack happened on Friday, noting that the hacker attempted to infiltrate the system twice. Police said the computer system that controls the water plant has a software program, which allows authorized users to access it remotely.
After they were notified of the attack, the water system’s operators were able to return the levels back to normal quickly. According to the CDC, sodium hydroxide, if consumed in large amounts, can cause vomiting as well as chest and abdominal pain.
“Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is the main ingredient in liquid drain cleaners,” explained Sheriff Gualtieri. “It is also used to control water acidity and to remove metals from drinking water in the water treatment plants.”
https://www.oann.com/fbi-fla-authorities-investigating-hack-on-pinellas-county-water-supply